Institute for the Study of Human Rights

**About Our Institute** Founded in 1978 at Columbia University, the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR) is dedicated to three core goals: providing interdisciplinary and critical human rights education to Columbia students; fostering innovative, rigorous academic research; and offering its expertise in capacity building to human rights leaders, organizations, and universities around the world. ISHR was the first academic center in the world to be established on an explicitly interdisciplinary commitment to the study of human rights. This remains central to its mission today. Recognizing that human rights and social justice are not solely matters of law, ISHR advances research and education that transcend traditional academic boundaries, departments, and disciplines, while engaging with practitioners and organizations beyond the university. ISHR’s emphasis on interdisciplinarity, engagement, and global reach both reflects and reinforces long-standing strengths of Columbia’s intellectual life, enabling ISHR to address the evolving complexities of human rights in a globalized world. ISHR’s distinction is also earned through its active engagement with the world of human rights practitioners. This engagement informs the academic work of Columbia’s faculty while simultaneously challenging activists to assess and evaluate their approaches to human rights in the light of academic findings. ISHR continues to be a leader in bridging the academic study of human rights and the worlds of advocacy and public policy. ISHR’s global connections are especially strong with advocates in the Global South, predominantly through the [Human Rights Advocates Program](https://www.humanrightscolumbia.org/hrap/human-rights-advocates-program) (HRAP). At a time in which Columbia is increasingly focusing on global issues, all of these components form and define the educational and instructional shape of human rights education at Columbia, ensuring that it is focused on the real world challenges practitioners face, bringing voices from the Global South to CU and critically evaluating the movement from an interdisciplinary perspective.